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Veüe générale de la Ville et du Chateau de Versailles du côté des Jardins (View of Versailles)

Pierre Aveline the Elder

1675

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Cityscape

Dominant colour

Veüe générale de la Ville et du Chateau de Versailles du côté des Jardins (View of Versailles) is a 1675 ink by Pierre Aveline the Elder, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Pierre Aveline the Elder
When & what style?: 1675 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This is a black-and-white map-like drawing of Versailles. You see a huge palace at the top center, surrounded by wide gardens with paths, fountains, and statues. Below, there’s a busy harbor with ships and people, and a maze of smaller buildings and trees. Tiny figures walk everywhere, giving a sense of scale. The artist labeled every path, fountain, and building by number, like a puzzle. This was meant to show off how grand and planned everything was. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this made detailed prints.